Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- We've come a long way -- or have we? -- The dangers of medical intervention -- The psychological effects of a traumatic birth on a family -- Why physicians insist on intervening -- Personal beliefs and expectations -- Dreams, impulses, intuition, and emotions : our psychological lifeline to the inner self -- Stories of unassisted births -- The case for autonomous birth -- My story -- Conclusion -- Unassisted childbirth resources -- Bibliography -- Index.